Are Columbus' Streets Any Safer After Summer Initiative?

Less than two months after Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman announced an initiative to stop a spike in crime, the program has ended, leaving many in Central Ohio wondering if the streets really are any safer.

Back in July, city officials announced what steps they were taking in response to a spike in violence. It included putting more officers in -- what were at the time -- unspecified hotspots throughout the city.

The plan was in place Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights over a five-week span from July 29 to Aug. 28, according to Amanda Ford with the Columbus Department of Public Safety.

She says officers made 173 arrests; recovered 20 firearms; issued 920 traffic citations and seized nearly 50 grams of cocaine, 21 grams of heroin and 500 grams of marijuana.

She says the department considers the initiative a success.

Stats aside, the question remains: Did the initiative make Columbus a safer place?

Ford says one of the areas heavily targeted in the initiative was Zone 5 or the city's near East Side.

CrimeReports.com uses actual police reports to show incidents of crime on a map.

While it is not an official tally of crimes, it gives a broad view of what has happened during different periods of time.

According to the website, during the five-week initiative there were more than 60 robberies and four homicides in Zone 5. In the five weeks prior to the initiative, there were around the same number of robberies but two fewer homicides.

However, since the initiative ended, there has been one homicide and fewer than two dozen robberies.

"I think the increased presence did make a difference, but it's the long-term efforts that are going to make the real difference," said Kathleen Bailey, chair of the Near East Area Commission.

When asked if she felt safer now than she did two months ago, she replied, "Yes. Yes, I do."

When NBC 4 asked Walter Chappelear, who is a member of the South Main Street Block Watch if the East Side is a safer place because of the initiative, he replied, "Well, perhaps it is. I see improvements, steady slow improvement. I think the neighborhood right now is at a tipping point ... We’ve been in close touch with some officials from Downtown that assure us they are going to give things their best effort. So we're hopeful of that.”

But that's just looking at one section of the city.

Jason Pappas with the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9 says though the safety initiative is over, communities are stepping up to fight crime.

"The calls for service remained about the same as far as we can tell, but it does appear there's been more community input, more community activity. We've done a lot of outreach, said Pappas.

"The community has really stepped up their efforts. We've been involved with the block watch groups. We've been involved with the churches and other community outreach programs.

"There does seem to be a lot more community involvement and awareness, and it seems like that may be some of the reason for the calls to be high is because so many people are now involved."

Columbus police did not return our calls for comment.

For the latest news and information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail stories@nbc4i.com.
MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News
NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video
NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video